The Vancouver Police Department’s body-worn camera (BWC) pilot project is being extended.
The six-month pilot was initially intended to end on June 30, but the VPD now says it will run until the end of the year.
Participating officers will continue to wear the cameras on a voluntary basis.
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Vancouver criminal lawyer Kyla Lee said the cameras can pose privacy concerns for the public and the officers wearing them.
“Oftentimes police officers are going into very private spaces like people’s homes, shelters, places where people have a high expectation of privacy,” she said. “And whether or not that type of private information should be disclosed, especially to a defendant in a criminal trial, who may be tempted to use that information in a nefarious way, is a big concern.”
She said there are also concerns for officers who may have private and non-work-related conversations with colleagues, spouses or family members while the cameras are active.
